The
annual tribute to the high-tech lifestyle hits Las Vegas this week with the
2018 version of CES, formerly called the Consumer Electronics Show. The show
has expanded well beyond games and media, however, to encompass the migration
of technology into ever more elements of life. In addition to the usual televisions,
headphones, and game systems that were the show’s genesis, there are now
connected cars, digital therapeutics, companion robots, and a redefinition of
realism making their presence felt.

The
Consumer Technology Association (CTA) set the stage for this week’s show with a
Technology Trends presentation followed by a preview of things that will be among
the 4,000 exhibits in the expo. Three of the key trends that CTA’s senior
director of research, Steve Koening, indicated will have a major impact this year
are 5G cellular communications, personal robotics, and artificial intelligence.

The
fifth generation of cellular communications (5G) includes such technologies as
LTE and new radio bands, which promise to considerably boost bandwidth and
speed for connectivity. A video download that takes minutes today will take
seconds under 5G. High-speed data and low latency, in turn, will enable more
information to flow both ways for applications like smart cities, self-driving
cars, and wireless virtual and augmented reality systems. It will also raise
consumer expectations of how systems can react and how quickly. Rollouts of 5G
system infrastructure have already begun, Koening pointed out, and availability
will start this year.

In
the field of robotics, two trends are emerging. One class of robots appearing
are the task-based systems. These function-specific robots include things like
autonomous vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers, automated laundry washing and
folding (check out Foldimate), and travel suitcases that follow their owner
around. Furthermore, these robots are able to automatically adapt. Some have
mapping functions and are able to learn the space that they are to maintain and
optimize their execution of their tasks. Others have scanners that detect NFC
tags and configure their operation to properly handle the materials in hand.

But
companion robots are also emerging in the marketplace now. These are
multi-function devices that can perform a variety of tasks, the most important
of which is to interact with their human owners in a way that promotes comfort.
Buddy, a companion robot from Blue Frog Robotics, is one example
that can play with your children, keep an eye on the elderly, provide home
security while you are away, and remind you of appointments. At a party, it can
track faces and photograph the happenings so you don’t need to. And it’s not
only startups that are entering the field. Industry giant LG announced at its
pre-show press briefing a series of concept robots that handle tasks such as
shopping assistance to augment its CLiO line of companion robot assistants.

CliO is a robotic personal assistant
from LG Electronics.

Key
to the emergence of such robots is another technology seeing rapid growth at
this year’s show: artificial intelligence (AI). The rapid rise in AI-based digital
voice assistants like the Amazon Echo with the Alexa AI was only the beginning,
according to Koening. Home automation devices are already finding that
compatibility with digital assistants are now table stakes for a successful
product, and the assistants themselves are getting embodied in ever more
vessels. Startup iDevices, for instance, announced a line of light switches with
Alexa built in, including the voice interactivity.

Coupled
with deep learning, however, AI is now leading to products that not only
interact with humans using multiple natural language interfaces, they are able
to learn the habits and preferences of their owners to tailor their operation.
Deep learning allows devices to use face and speaker recognition to determine
who they are interacting with and respond accordingly. Autonomous task robots
can learn their environment, tell the differences between pets and furniture,
and then respond appropriately in their activity cycles. And as these devices
learn more about their owners, they can become more personal and efficient in
serving them.

Many
other things will be emergent at CES 2018. Biometrics is seeing a push for both
information and physical security applications as well as for health and
therapeutic purposes. Iris and fingerprint scanning for authentication,
IR-based body measurements and materials identification (food, medicine, etc.),
feedback systems for sound and music therapy, and other bio-centric devices
have homes at the show.

Biometrics for security as well as
health purposes are seeing a surge at CES. (Image source: Samsung)

Virtual
and augmented reality systems are also emergent, along with ever more content,
helping redefine expectations for what these technologies can offer. Koening
predicts that AR will increasingly move to consumers on mobile devices because
the information content is so useful, and wireless (untethered) VR will lead to
major innovations in entertainment and social media. People will not only be
able to exchange messages and photos, they will be able to “hang out” together
in virtual spaces.

Many
markets have their own defined spaces at this year’s CES. Autonomous vehicles
have more than 30,000 square feet of dedicated exhibit space. Smart cities
technology, which focuses on transportation in the U.S. and on environment in
Europe, has nearly 12,000 square feet of new dedicated space this year, as
well.

Once focused mainly on entertainment, CES is
evolving to encompass the increasing breadth of electronics technology’s impact
on individuals, lifestyles, and societies. EP’s coverage of the event will
focus on the products and technologies that are enabling designers to push that
envelope even further in years to come.